News

Could Cow Belches Be A New Power Source?

06 January 2014

ARGENTINA – Cattle back-packs are being used to capture methane from a cow’s stomach as part of a ground breaking experiment in Argentina.

Scientists at the National Institute for Farming Technology (NIFT) in Buenos Aires believe the biomethane could be a sustainable energy option in the coming decades, reports the British Broadcasting Corporation.

“This could be used in areas where conventional energies are not available,” Guillermo Berra of the NIFT, told the BBC.

“For example, the gas needed for a 100 litre refrigerator can run between 2-6 degrees in temperature with the gas produced by one cow in one day.”

It works by storing methane in an inflatable sack on the cow’s back via a small tube inserted directly into the stomach. Gas is then purified, being passed through a liquid solution.

This process all happens atop the cow, before being compressed into gas canisters.

Researchers at NIFT emphasised World Food and Agriculture Organisation data shows 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are from livestock.

Therefore, by intercepting methane before it leaves the cow, cattle's contribution to climate change could be reduced.